Skip to content Last Updated: September 16, 2024
Introduction
Welcome and thank you for your trust in Essential Skills Software Inc. (henceforth referred to as “Essential Skills”, “Our Company”, “we”, “our”). This Privacy Policy works in tandem with our Terms of Service, which it is part of. Our aim through this policy is to make clear how we gather, utilize, share, and protect the information you provide. By accessing our service, you’re giving a nod to the procedures outlined in this policy.
At Essential Skills, we prioritize the security of student data just as much as we do the quality of education. That’s why we’ve successfully completed the rigorous NYC DOE Data Privacy and Security Compliance Process, including a cloud review by IBM. With over 995,000 students across 1,800 schools, New York City’s Department of Education is the largest school district in the United States, and we’re proud to meet their high standards. If our security is robust enough for them, you can trust that it’s secure enough for your school(s) too.
Student data is handled in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations pertaining to student data privacy, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the California Student Online Personal Information Protection Act (SOPIPA), and all applicable state or federal student data privacy protection laws.
The Information We Gather
Our request for information on the Essential Skills platform is kept to a minimum. During sign-up, we only ask for the user’s name, email, and role (e.g., Special Ed Teacher, Home User, etc.). When you engage more with our services, such as creating an account, you might share more identifiable information, or ‘Personal Data’ as we’ll refer to it here.
Short and Sweet:
The data we collect is basic. Just the essential details that help us make Essential Skills better for you, such as your sign-up and profile details.
Data from Minors
By law and our terms, if you’re younger than 13 (or 16 if you’re from a European Union (“EU”) country), you can only use our services or share Personal Data with us if your parent or guardian agrees. The only Personal Data we collect from minors is a self-chosen username and password. We always advise younger users to get consent from parents or guardians. If you are a young student, especially if below the age of 13 (or 16 in the EU), avoid sending any other personal details to us.
Parents can reach out to us at support@essentialskills.com to access any information we might have about their child if they are below the age of 13 (or 16 in the EU). Before we hand over any details, we’ll check the parent’s identity.
Short and Sweet:
Educators: Our platform doesn’t ask for detailed personal information about students.
About “Cookies”
When you access our platform, we might send cookies – which are tiny files made up of letters and numbers – to your device. We use both temporary and lasting cookies for tasks like recognizing your device after you log in. If you want to remove or reject our cookies, refer to the “Help” section of your browser. But remember, doing so might stop some of our features from working perfectly.
Short and Sweet:
We use “cookies” to recognize you on our platform.
Technologically Sourced Information
Whenever you engage with our Service or open an HTML email from us, we might capture specific details via various technological methods, including but not limited to “clear gifs” or “web beacons.” This data, which we term “technologically sourced” information, can encompass elements like your Internet Protocol (IP) address, device identifiers, the type of browser or device you’re using, sites you visited right before or after our Service, pages on our Service you accessed, and when you did so. It’s important to note that all this data is shared with us willingly by your browser, operating system, and computer hardware. For more on this, you might want to check the manuals of your browser and operating system.
Short and Sweet:
Just like other sites, we gather certain tech-related details when you use our services.
How We Utilize the Information we Collect
The “technologically sourced” details and the data from “cookies” are employed by us to: (a) customize our services, for instance, saving your preferences or details so you don’t have to re-enter them every time; (b) gauge and enhance the performance of our Service; (c) keep tabs on overall usage patterns like the total visitor count, number of pages or apps used, etc.; and (d) keep track of your activities, inputs, and status across various functions within our Service. We may utilize your email or other Personal Data to dispatch promotional emails related to our Service that might intrigue you. You can opt out from such emails using the provided links.
Short and Sweet:
We use the information to enhance Essential Skills for you. Occasionally, based on your settings, we might send you pertinent emails.
Information Sharing Policies of our Company
We don’t engage in selling, leasing, or giving away your (or your child’s) personal information for promotional or advertising purposes. STRICTLY, we don’t distribute personal information unless specified in this policy. Still, there are a few ways we might share some of the collected details, which include:
We cooperate with third-party service providers that aid us in web and application design, hosting, and upkeep. These third parties might have to access or process your Personal Data to honor their agreements with us. For instance, Amazon Web Services handles our principal database housing all personal details. Our intention is to share these details under constraints akin to this policy. Nevertheless, some large-scale providers don’t necessarily agree to these limits in their contracts with us. Furthermore, some third parties can, without notifying us, allow access to stored data for legal bodies or law enforcement, either due to legal obligations or willingly, which is beyond our control.
We may provide non-personal aggregate data to these third parties to help them comprehend our user behaviors, inclinations, and how they utilize our Service.
We might disclose your information if mandated by law, like in response to a subpoena or to comply with legislation. We reserve the right to share details we believe necessary to shield ourselves and others from potential harm or illegal activities, address third-party claims, cooperate with legal investigations, ensure our Service’s security, and safeguard our rights and those of our users.
Short and Sweet:
We don’t peddle or lease your (or your child’s) personal info. While we may share data for specific aspects of the Essential Skills service, it’s only as laid out in this policy. We might reveal data if the law necessitates it or to avert potential harm.
Your Control over Information
You can opt not to share certain details with us, but doing so may limit your Service experience. You can always amend, correct, or erase your account details by accessing your account through the Service.
For your safety, we take steps to authenticate your identity before letting you access or modify your account. ALWAYS ENSURE YOUR ACCOUNT PASSWORD REMAINS CONFIDENTIAL.
Short and Sweet:
You have control over what you share, but limiting data might affect your Essential Skills experience. Always safeguard your password. You can adjust your details and preferences.
Dealings with Third-Party Services
The Service might have references or hyperlinks to third-party websites and services. Any data you provide on these third-party platforms goes directly to them and is governed by their respective privacy and security protocols. We can’t vouch for the content, privacy, or security practices of third-party sites or services linked within our Service. We suggest you acquaint yourself with third parties’ privacy norms before sharing Personal Data.
Short and Sweet:
Navigating to another platform not managed by Essential Skills? It’s a good idea to check their privacy practices.
Our Commitment to Protecting Children’s Privacy
Essential Skills takes the privacy of children seriously. If you think a child has given us data without proper consent, tell us at support@essentialskills.com. If you’re an EU parent with a child under 16 on Essential Skills, and you want to see their data, ask us at the same address.
Short and Sweet:
We care about kids’ privacy. If someone under 13 (or 16 in the EU) joins Essential Skills without permission, let us know at support@essentialskills.com.
Our Data Security Promise
We try our best to keep your data safe with several protective measures. But, we can’t promise complete security due to unforeseeable events. Questions about our security? Email us at support@essentialskills.com. We use encryption for data entered on our login page and don’t store actual passwords. If there’s a security breach, we’ll aim to tell you and might post a public notice.
Short and Sweet:
We do our best to protect your data, but things can still go wrong. If they do, we’ll inform you.
International Users
Our main audience is the USA, and our service is hosted there and in some other places. If you’re using Essential Skills from outside the US, know that your data might be sent to and stored in the US or elsewhere. If you’re in the EU, check our GDPR page to learn about your GDPR rights.
Short and Sweet:
Our servers are mostly in the US. EU users should check our GDPR page.
If Essential Skills Changes Hands
If another company buys or merges with Essential Skills, they’ll get your data but have to follow this policy unless you agree to a new one. We’ll tell you about any such changes and give you options.
Short and Sweet:
If Essential Skills’ ownership changes, we’ll keep you in the loop and give you choices about your data.
Privacy Policy Updates
We might update this policy occasionally. If we make significant changes, we’ll tell you. But, we’ll generally use your data as described when you gave it to us. If you don’t like the changes, you can stop using Essential Skills. Continuing to use Essential Skills means you agree to the updates.
Short and Sweet:
We might tweak this policy sometimes. If we do, we’ll let you know and give you choices.
Contact Information
Company Name: Essential Skills Software Inc. dba Essential Skills
Data Protection Officer: Jamie Whitten
Address: 150-5614 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20015-2604
Have questions or feedback? Email us: support@essentialskills.com